In a landmark step to deepen economic ties between the Caribbean region and the African continent, the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has launched its first-ever investment and trade roadshow in Kingston, Jamaica. This high-profile engagement on June 2 marks just months after Jamaica formally joined Afreximbank’s Partnership Agreement, and comes on the heels of the pan-African financial institution’s approval of a massive $5 billion regional financing facility that allocates critical capital to Jamaica and other Caribbean nations.
Branded under the theme “Empowering Jamaica’s Growth: Catalysing Trade, Investment and Industrialisation through Tailored Afreximbank Solutions”, the one-day event gathered a diverse cross-section of stakeholders, from senior Jamaican government policymakers to leading private-sector business executives and representatives from the country’s top financial institutions. The gathering served dual purposes: it introduced Afreximbank’s full suite of trade financing, direct investment, and strategic advisory offerings to local market participants, while also giving Afreximbank leadership the chance to map out Jamaica’s core development goals, capital gaps, and untapped investment prospects.
Speaking at the event, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and Public Service Fayval Williams emphasized that the bilateral partnership between the island nation and Afreximbank is growing at an accelerating pace as the bank expands its regional footprint across the Caribbean. Williams noted, “It is clear that the partnership between Afreximbank and Jamaica continues to strengthen.” She urged local public and private institutions to proactively deepen their collaboration with the Cairo-based lender to unlock new cross-continental commercial opportunities that can drive inclusive growth.
Eric Monchu Intong, Afreximbank’s Group Managing Director for Client Relations and Regional Office Operations, framed intentional industrial development as the foundational pillar for both long-term sustainable economic expansion and increased cross-border trade between the two regions. “To trade successfully with Global Africa, we must first produce,” Intong stated. He highlighted that strategic investments in key infrastructure such as industrial parks, special economic zones, and modern manufacturing capacity would position Jamaica to cut its overreliance on foreign imports, grow its exports of high-value goods, and generate much-needed new jobs for Jamaican workers.
Following the conclusion of the roadshow, Afreximbank announced that the engagement had significantly enhanced its understanding of Jamaica’s unique business landscape. These insights, the bank confirmed, will inform the design of customized financing and investment products aligned specifically with Jamaica’s national development needs. Afreximbank also reaffirmed its long-term commitment to growing two-way trade and investment flows between Africa and the Caribbean by expanding local access to affordable trade finance, patient investment capital, and expert strategic advisory support.